UMES Tests New Campus Emergency Siren and Public Address System

PRINCESS ANNE, MD Officials at the University of Maryland of Eastern Shore test the university s recently installed Emergency Notification Siren and Public Address System today, as installation. The system is designed to alert students, faculty and staff when emergency conditions exist on campus.

Emergencies could range from dangerous weather conditions to hazardous chemical spills to campus or local area criminal activity requiring a response by the campus community. The new emergency notification system is another part of the university s multiple notification approach to campus emergencies.

With communication in an emergency situation paramount to the institution s commitment to improving safety, several phases of an emergency response plan have unfolded over the last year and a half. In addition to the siren/public address system, UMES will continue to use campus wide e-mail and text messaging.

HawkTalk, the university s cell phone broadcast alert system, was one of only 30 in the nation at the time it was instituted by UMES months prior to the Virginia Tech tragedy. The second phase of the plan saw the implementation of the Rave Guardian program. Students who opt in can use their cell phones to allow campus security to track their route by GPS when they feel they need extra protection on campus or in their hometowns.

UMES is committed to the safety of our students, faculty, staff and surrounding community, said Chief Warner Sumpter, director of public safety. We are constantly exploring measures to improve safety.

For more information on the UMES Emergency Notification Siren and Public Address System, call the UMES Office of Public Relations at 410-621-2355.